Wednesday, April 5, 2017

How public libraries help build healthy communities | March 30, 2017

Public libraries | Library services | Community | Health

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. Increasingly in the
United States, you also can’t judge a library’s value to its community
by simply its books. Let us explain.

In a previous blog post, we’ve noted the importance of “third places”
in strengthening communities – meaning those places that are neither
one’s home (first place) nor workspace (second place). A range of such
third places, from churches to beauty salons, play an important role in
community building. They are the informal spaces that are often
mainstays in a neighborhood, places where both random and intentional
in-person relationships are made. Read more...